Iris germanica Brin de Folie - Bearded Iris

The 'Brin de Folie' German Iris is an unusual and delightful garden iris. Its perfectly shaped undulating corollas, with very fresh colours, display oversized beards that give the whole a deliciously whimsical character. The rather short floral stems, but well-filled with flowers, are well suited for ornamenting slightly windy areas. A variety that beautifully concludes the iris season! Plant the rhizomes in full sun on a slope or in a flower bed. 

 The 'Brin de Folie' Iris is a rhizomatous and deciduous perennial plant, with an upright tufted growth habit starting from spring. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over centuries, whose controversial origin is debated around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It should be noted that Garden Irises have European origins.

The 'Brin de Folie' iris does not exceed 70cm (28in) in height when flowering, with an average of 7 buds per stem. The clump will spread without a theoretical limit over time, with the central rhizomes thinning out in favour of the outer rhizomes. It has an elegant upright growth habit in a dense tuft. The foliage consists of long sword-shaped leaves, glaucous green and heavily veined. It disappears in winter and reappears in spring. In May, floral stems appear that will produce flowers in June, opening from the top towards the lower branches. They consist of 3 upright petals, cream-coloured infused with acidic yellow, and 3 almost horizontal sepals, very pale blue-mauve with a canary yellow base, covered with fine violet streaks, adorned with orange beards at the base, extending into a yellow spur. The colour of this plant is, as always with Garden Irises, magnified by the texture of the petals and sepals, here thick and iridescent.

Cultivated by Cayeux in 2021.

To accompany the irises, choose plants to associate based on their needs (exposure, soil, etc.), their "respectful" vegetation towards irises (low plants or light foliage), and their decorative complementarity (appearance, flowering date). For example, Gaura will cast little shade on the irises and will keep the deflowered iris bed attractive throughout the summer. California Poppies and Love-in-a-Mist will be satisfied with a dry and poor soil, just like the irises. Perennial geraniums (sanguineum), salvias, and Libertia also accompany irises very well. Shrub roses are also good companions for irises. Slopes and terraced edges will be stabilized by a dense planting of old varieties that can remain in place and require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for care is possible, one can choose more modern varieties, for example intermediates that are less likely to topple over than the tall ones.

The vegetable garden can be adorned with a few clumps or borders of irises, as it is also the realm of cut flowers.